Valley resident Mike Vasseur urged the select boards of Warren, Fayston and Waitsfield to buy the Mad River Park recreation fields to support the children in The Valley.
Mad River Valley Recreation District chair Rebecca Baruzzi and board member Logan Cooke presented to the select boards on behalf of the district. Over the past few months Cooke has been speaking with select boards about buying a portion of the Mad River Park, an 8.5-acre lot that the recreation district has leased in the past. Dick and Laura Kingsbury, owners of the land, are now looking to either sell the land to the towns or develop it, possibly into storage sheds or into solar installations.
Although the recreation district was not asking for funds just yet, they were asking for a sign of support at the end of the meeting. That sign came from both Warren and Fayston, but no Waitsfield Select Board members other than Kari Dolan raised their hands.
Last year at this same leadership meeting the recreation district said that it was asked to take on a bigger role, Baruzzi told the select boards and a large audience and this is a big step for the organization as the money would ultimately come from the towns, but the recreation district would own the land. The Kingsburys have offered to sell the land for $550,000 and the rec district has received an anonymous donation of $100,000 toward the purchase. The property appraised for $725,000. The rec district has also applied for a federal grant that could yield $275,000. The rec district estimates that it can fundraise another $50,000.
“You have applied pressure. You told us to do more. We are really putting a lot of effort in, really doing a lot of work, and we hope that you support it,” Cooke told the select boards.
To the select boards and many residents in attendance, the value of the fields is irreplaceable. Having a large chunk of recreation fields so centrally located is rare and some residents of other towns such as Hinesburg have written to the recreation district telling them to not let a “gem” like the rec fields be sold to anyone but the town.
Waitsfield Select Board member Paul Hartshorn started by questioning how many tax dollars will be lost if the park came off Waitsfield’s Grand List?
“All of the towns are going to be involved in this and I’m for the kids. But I’m also wondering if Waitsfield is going to take a bit on the loss of the taxes on that piece of property?” Hartshorn said.
Cooke said that as of right now, Waitsfield’s Grant List would be reduced by $51,700 if the rec fields are removed from the total valuation of the property. The Mad River Park is currently assessed by the town at $1,044,000. Cooke explained that Waitsfield’s listers would reduce the valuation to $992,300 with the fields removed.
Andrew Cunningham, chair of the Warren Select Board, asked if the amount that Waitsfield loses in tax revenue could be made up in the pay structure that is worked out between the three stake-holding towns that buy into the recreation district: Warren, Fayston and Waitsfield.
The loss might be made up for in economic value, according to the recreation district. The Valley’s recreation is what attracts many families to the area and securing the Mad River Park fields would solidify any doubt that The Valley is all in on recreation, especially for the children that grow up in it.
The recreation district also noted the possible uses for the land if it is sold to another buyer or developed by the current owners: It is not a company “like Burton or Cabot” that would be going in; it is just storage and solar panels.
Sal Spinosa of Waitsfield also lamented the amount of projects that are currently ongoing in Waitsfield. He said that it might take some of the other projects coming to conclusion, so Waitsfield can assess their “debt load” before giving a definitive answer.
“We all know the benefits of youth sports, promoting positive after-school activities, building social skills, friendships, teaching [children] winning and losing,” Cooke told the audience, and if the towns were to lose the Mad River Park, youth organizations like Mad River Soccer and Lacrosse could be in jeopardy. At the very least, losing such a large chunk of its fields would create a scheduling nightmare, proponents said.
Currently, the Mad River Park fields can fit four full-size soccer fields and two smaller-size soccer fields at the same time. This amount of practice and competition space cannot be found anywhere else in The Valley; the recreation district has looked, Cooke said.
Drew Simmons of Mad River Lacrosse and Dan Sullivan of Mad River Soccer said that before Mad River Park was up for sale, they didn’t think that its future would ever be in dispute, almost taking it for granted that children would always be able to play there.
The recreation district is also negotiating with Moretown because, after all, their children play on those fields as well.
“At this point we’re not too enthused about it,” said John Hoogenboom, the only member of the Moretown Select Board present.
However, even if no outside funds were available and the three stake-holding towns have to pay the full $550,000, the recreation district still believes it would be a worthwhile purchase, Cooke said.
“This is an asset that towns should be happy to buy,” Cooke said.
Vasseur spoke to crowd saying that he has seen this type of scenario before in the Mad River Valley, where he has lived his entire life. He has also coached on the fields in question and is currently the varsity girls’ soccer coach and hockey coach at Harwood.
“There is always some legitimate reason for not putting the kids first,” Vasseur told the select boards, but this time it’s unacceptable. He said that there is no reason why these fields should not be municipally owned, which is something the town needs,” he said, adding that there is no public space that parents can take their kids currently.
“This is an incredible place to raise kids, but we have very few public facilities that work around our kids,” Vasseur said.
He also added, “This is a precious gem right smack in the middle, that 45 percent of Moretown kids use, 50 percent of kids in The Valley use,” he said, in disbelief that the select boards were even considering the idea of passing up on the purchase.
“Do not let this gem get away from us because of politics. Do not do the wrong thing again. You are our leaders and I am counting on you to do the right thing,” Vasseur ended, and applause from the entire audience erupted.
Vassuer’s passion did not go unnoticed as Bob Ackland said immediately, “We need to stand up and put our hand up and support this.”
Just before the discussion ended the recreation district did ask for a physical display of support with the select boards raising their hands. All select board members across the towns raised their hands, except for Darryl Forrest, Sal Spinosa and Paul Hartshorn, all of Waitsfield.
— CLK
